Awning



Sept. 11, 1962 G. o. BENSON AWNING Original Filed Aug. 23, 1956 INVENTOR Gav/9e 0. @2290 United States Patent 4 Claims. ((ll. loll-31) This invention relates to awnings made of flexible sheet material stretched and sustained by rods and more particularly shown as embodied in both fixed and retractable exterior awnings for windows.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 605,741, filed August 23, 1956, now Patent No. 2,938,524, issued May 31, 1960.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide such awnings which are simple to erect properly by one having little skill so that the awnings can be easily erected by children or by householders having little or no mechanical bent.

Another object of the invention is to provide such awnings, the components of which are very light in weight so as to be easy to handle both in erecting and tearing down the structure and so as to be easy to insall and inexpensive to ship.

Another object of the invention is to provide such awnings which are entirely noiseless, the parts yielding under wind stresses and the like and being free from rattle, clatter, bumps or other disturbing noises.

Another object is to provide such an awning which is self-adjusting after being erected, so that as the canvas or other fabric shrinks or expands, the supporting frame automatically adapts itself to the changed condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an awning which is extremely strong in spite of its light weight and will stand up under conditions of severe and constant use under the heat of the sun and under the beating of wind storms without giving way.

Another object is to provide such an awning, the components of which will withstand Weathering under adverse circumstances, temperature, humidity, Wind stresses, salt air and air contaminated with corrosive industrial byproducts.

Another object is to provide such an awning which can be completely free from internal poles or struts.

Another object is to provide such awnings which are of pleasing and ornamental appearance and which can be produced in structures of distinct and widely different appearance and design as compared with conventional awning structures now on the market.

Another object is to provide such an awning in which one size or set of the flexible, spring-like rods used fits varying sizes of awnings, as compared with conventional awning supports currently used which must be made in exact sizes and form to fit each individual awning. The use of one size or set of rods for various sizes of awnings in the practice of the present invention reduces required inventory and simplifies manufacturing, selling and servicing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-retractable window awning embodying the present invention and illustrating two manners in which the flexible spring-like rods can be applied to hold the awning in proper distended condition.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one corner of the awning shown in FIG. 1 and in particular illustrating the manner of securing the fabric body of the awning 3,653,317 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 to one of the flexible members which holds the fabric body in a distended condition.

FIG. 3 is a view taken generally on line 3-4:, FIG. 2, and showing the manner in which the connecting member for the fabric canopy is threaded around the corresponding flexible member.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the socket fittings used with the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 13 and showing the manner in which its socket slants in a horizontal direction to stress the flexible-spring-like rod carried by the socket fitting in a corresponding direction.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the socket fitting shown in FIG. 4 and showing the manner in which its socket inclines downwardly so as to stress the flexible spring-like rod carried thereby in a corresponding direc tion.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and showing a modified form of awning structure in which the awning is retractable.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the awning retracted.

FIG. 8 is a vertical section through the socket fitting for one of the flexible spring-like rods used in conjunction with the awning shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and showing the manner in which this socket fitting can be released to permit of folding or retracting the awning.

In FIGS. 1-5 is illustrated an exterior awning for windows embodying the present invention. The exterior frame of the window is indicated at 50, and the body 51 of the awning can be made of flexible sheet material such as canvas or any other suitable fabric, as well as paper, especially high wet strength paper, and comprises triangular side panels 52 having a vertical edge suitably secured to the window frame 50, a horizontal bottom edge and a diagonal top edge, the diagonal top edges of the two panels being connected by a rectangular top panel 53. The lower edges of the side panels and top panels can be provided with a valance 54 extending around the three sides of the awning. The top edge of the top panel 53 and the vertical edge of each side panel 52 can be secured to the Window frame 50 in any usual and well known manner as by hooks 57.

The awning is held in the distended position shown by a pair of flexible spring-like rods 55 which are preferably made of strands of glass fibers imbedded in plastic and of the nature now in general use for fishing poles. These rods 55 can be solid or tubular; they can be of uniform diameter throughout their length or tapered; and they can be one-piece rods or composed of several jointed sections detachably connected together. The essential characteristics are that these rods have a high degree of springiness in returning to their original straight condition and suflicient strength to hold the awning distended even under severe wind storm conditions.

A particular feature of the invention resides in the socket fitting 56 in which each of the rods 5s is mounted. While these rods could be mounted in holes drilled in the window frame 50, it is preferable to provide the socket fittings 56, which include a vertical base plate 58 secured, as by screws 5?, to the window frame 50 and having an outwardly projecting tubular socket 60, the bore of which snugly receives the anchored end of the corresponding flexible rod 55.

As best shown in the bottom plan view, FIG. 4, the socket 6!} is disposed at an acute included angle in a horizontal direction with reference to the base plate 58 and the two sockets 69 at opposite sides of the window are arranged so as to toe out or diverge in a horizontal direction with reference to each other. As shown in the front elevational view, FIG. 5, it will also be noted that these sockets to incline downwardly relative to the horizontal although this inclination of these sockets is not essential since the vertical positioning of the fittings can be utilized to provide the required vertical stress in the flexible spring-like rods carried by these sockets as hereinafter described.

It will therefore be seen that when the flexible springlike rods 55 are placed in the sockets 60, they diverge in a horizontal direction and also preferably incline downwardly although the downward pressure from the rods carried by these sockets can be accomplished by the vertical location of the sockets 6% as previously indicated. In attaching such horizontally divergent rods 55 to the body 51 of the awning, they are stressed toward each other and are stressed upwardly in being operatively connected with the upper corners of the valance 54 or lower corners of top panel 53 to which they are secured by the metal connectors 61, these connectors engaging the outer ends of the rods below the lower corners of the top panel. While these connectors 61 could be made of stiff round wire, they are shown as preferably being made of a flat metal strip bent into figure-S form to provide a closed loop 62 embracing the rod 55 and to provide an open hook 63 which can be threaded through grommets 64 provided in the valance 54 at the corners thereof as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A feature of these particular connectors 61 is that under pressure from the flexible spring-like rods 55, the connectors assume the cocked or angular position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the edge portions 65 and 66 form teeth which bite into the rods 55 to prevent sliding movement of the connectors along the rods and to hold the awning body 51 in a distended position. Since under all conditions the flexible spring-like rods 55 exert latching pressure on these connectors, these connectors securely hold the valance 54 at the preset position at the outer ends of the flexible spring-like rods 55 as shown.

It will be seen from FIG. 1 that by reason of the horizontally outwardly diverging direction and vertical position of the sockets 69 below the lower corners of top panel 53, the flexible spring-like rods 55 exert a horizontal spreading action on the lower end of the awning designated by the arrows j and a downward pressure to yieldingly urge the awning outwardly and downwardly as indicated by the arrows k and 1, thereby to hold the triangular side panels 52 flat and distended. The components of these forces hold the top panel 53 taut as indicated by the arrows in and n.

While in FIG. 1 the socket fittings 56 are shown in full lines as located below the side panels 52 of the awning, it is apparent that they could be located elsewhere, such as above these side panels or upper corners of the top panel 53, as illustrated in dotted lines in this figure. In the latter event, the horizontally outwardly diverging direction of the sockets of these fittings 56' cause the rods 55' to horizontally spread the lower end of the awning as indicated by the arrows j, and the engagement between the connectors 61 and the outer ends of the rods below the lower corners of top panel 53 causes the rods to exert a downward pressure and yieldingly urge the awning outwardly and downwardly as indicated by the arrows k and l. The components of these forces hold the top panel 53 taut as indicated by the arrows in and n, and the side panels 52 effectively prevent the downwardly flexed rods from straightening out and springing upwardly.

In FIGS. 6-8 is illustrated an awning structure in which the awning is retractable. As with the form of the awning shown in FIGS. 1-5, the window frame is indicated at 50 and the body 95 of the awning is shown as comprising the conventional triangular side panels 92 made of fabric and joined by a rectangular top panel 93, this body being made of flexible sheet material such as canvas or other suitable material such as paper, especially high wet strength paper. The vertical edges of the side panels 92 and top edge of the top panel 93 can be secured to the window frame in any suitable manner, as by hooks 57, and the connectors 61 can be secured to the outer corners of the fabric body in any suitable manner. The flexible spring-like rods 55 function in the same manner as the rods 55 in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5, but these rods are carried in a socket 96 which is hinged to a base plate 98 by a horizontal hinge pin 99 which is shown as passing through the socket 96 and through ears 100 struck forwardly from the base plate 98. The base plate is shown as secured to the window frame 50 by screws 101 and the socket 96 is shown as having a downwardly extending tongue 102 adapted to be removably held against the base plate 98 by a button or latch 103. This latch is shown as secured to the base plate 98 by a screw 104 about which it is capable of being swung to and from operative positions.

In the operative position shown, the socket 96 is held against the base plate 98 and in this position the flexible rods 55, when unstressed, would extend in a horizontally divergent and downwardly extending direction. Accordingly, as with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5, when the outer ends of these rods 55 are secured to the connectors 61, the awning is held fully distended in all directions as indicated by the arrows to which the same letters have been applied as applied to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5. When it is desired to raise the awning, the latches 103 are swung downwardly on the pivot screws 104 thereby to release the tongues 102. This permits the sockets 96 and the rods 55 carried thereby, to be swung upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 7. The awning fabric can be gathered together as shown and the awning held in this inoperative position by conventional ties 105. It will be observed that in this condition the rods 55 still exert a spreading action so that all parts are held together and the awning is maintained in a neat condition and ready to be swung down to the operative position initially assumed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides an awning including a body of flexible sheet material which can be produced in a wide variety of forms for different purposes and that in each form the awning is simple to erect and remove; is lightweight so as to be easily handled and stored and inexpensive to ship; is noiseless and free from rattles and clatter even under severe wind conditions since the parts are always under stress; and is self-adjusting so that as the flexible sheet material expands or shrinks under moisture conditions the structure easily adapts itself to the changing conditions.

I claim:

1. In combination with a window frame or the like, an awning comprising an inclined top panel of flexible sheet material fastened at its top edge to the top of said frame, a pair of flexible, spring-like rods fixed at their inner ends to said frame and projecting outwardly from said frame in normally horizontally divergent relation, and a connector arranged between the outer end of each of said rods and the corresponding lower corner of said top panel and engaging said outer end below said corresponding lower corner and flexing each of said rods vertically and horizontally toward said corresponding lower corner, whereby said rods act in opposition to each other and hold said top panel in vertically and horizontally distended condition.

2. In combination with a window frame or the like, an awning comprising an inclined top panel of flexible sheet material fastened at its top edge to the top of said frame, a pair of flexible, spring-like rods fixed at their inner ends to said frame and projecting outwardly from said frame in normally vertically downward and horizontally divergent relation, and a connector arranged between the outer end of each of said rods and the corresponding lower corner of said top panel and engaging said outer end below said corresponding lower corner and flexing each of said rods vertically inwardly and horizontally inwardly toward said corresponding lower corner, whereby said rods act in opposition to each other and hold said top panel in vertically and horizontally distended condition.

3. In combination with a window frame or the like, an awning comprising an inclined top panel of flexible sheet material fastened at its top edge to the top of said frame, a pair of flexible, spring-like rods fixed at their inner ends to said frame below the lower corners of said top panel and projecting outwardly from said frame in normally horizontally divergent relation, and a connector arranged between the outer end of each of said rods and the corresponding lower corner of said top panel and engaging said outer end below said corresponding lower corner and flexing each of said rods vertically upwardly and horizontally inwardly toward said corresponding lower corner, whereby said rods act in opposition to each other and hold said top panel in vertically and horizontally distended condition.

4. In combination with a window frame or the like, an awning comprising an inclined top panel of flexible sheet material fastened at its top edge to the top of said frame, means joined to the lower corners of said top panel and attached to said frame below the upper corners of said top panel, a pair of flexible, spring-like rods fixed at their inner ends to said frame above the top edge of said top panel and projecting outwardly from said frame in normally horizontally divergent relation, and a connector arranged between the outer end of each of said rods and the corresponding lower corner of said top panel and engaging said outer end below said corresponding lower corner and flexing each of said rods vertically downwardly and horizontally inwardly toward said corresponding lower corner, whereby said rods act in opposition to each other and hold said top panel in vertically and horizontally distended condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,253,814 Grings Jan. 15, 1918 2,138,219 Tabb Nov. 29, 1938 2,561,225 Powell July 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 104,587 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1917 

